Please tell me if I have missed any combination.
(Note : Only considered those with more than or very near to 100 wickets between them ; Tempted to include Murali - Jayasurya, ignored as Jayasurya is part-time, ignored Mendis - Murali)

They're the second-best spin attack ever after the SAfrican wristspin trio of Schwarz, Vogler and Faulkner at the turn of the 20th-century, for mine.

Lock and Laker and Ramadhin and Valentine, on uncovered wickets, were lethal as well. Illingworth and Underwood, before covered wickets (neither were much crack thereafter) were damn good too and oft-overlooked.

Kumble and Harbhajan Singh the best in recent times too for mine.

However, had Mushtaq Ahmed been the bowler he was between 1995 and 1997 for longer, he and Saqlain could have taken this out and probably taken-out the Top Spin Duo crown as well.

Depending on how much longer Murali can keep bowling well for, obviously he and Mendis has huge potential.

They're the second-best spin attack ever after the SAfrican wristspin trio of Schwarz, Vogler and Faulkner at the turn of the 20th-century, for mine.

Richard, I can't find your post (from about July) where you described spin bowling from 1974 to 1992 as "mostly hopeless". And the subsequent posts in which you played down the quality of Bedi and Chandra. Can you find them for me please?

Richard, I can't find your post (from about July) where you described spin bowling from 1974 to 1992 as "mostly hopeless". And the subsequent posts in which you played down the quality of Bedi and Chandra. Can you find them for me please?

Bedi and Chandra (and Prasanna)'s careers were both almost over by said date, weren't they? Not entirely sure how effective each were in their lattermost years.

And to what degree did I play them down? Said they weren't as good as some seamers? Said they were more effective at home than away? That's still no impediment on them being the second-best spin attack there's been since the 20th dawned.

Bedi and Chandra (and Prasanna)'s careers were both almost over by said date, weren't they? Not entirely sure how effective each were in their lattermost years.

And to what degree did I play them down? Said they weren't as good as some seamers? Said they were more effective at home than away? That's still no impediment on them being the second-best spin attack there's been since the 20th dawned.

All I'm saying is, find the posts. My investigation skills are limited. I will trust you to find the relevant ones!

Richard, I can't find your post (from about July) where you described spin bowling from 1974 to 1992 as "mostly hopeless". And the subsequent posts in which you played down the quality of Bedi and Chandra. Can you find them for me please?

Bedi and Chandra (and Prasanna)'s careers were both almost over by said date, weren't they? Not entirely sure how effective each were in their lattermost years.

And to what degree did I play them down? Said they weren't as good as some seamers? Said they were more effective at home than away? That's still no impediment on them being the second-best spin attack there's been since the 20th dawned.

OK I've found the thread I was thinking of...

Originally Posted by Richard

There was little in the way of widely successful spin between about 1974 and 1992.... If Mendis gets figured-out, barring someone else turning-up out of nowhere, spin will return to the sort of status it occupied in the aforementioned period - mostly useless.

Originally Posted by Richard

Bedi was only successful at home and in the second-innings; ... and Chandra, well, he was no more than good - certainly not outstanding.

BTW Richard, Kumble-Harby partnership too have a similar avg as Bedi/Chandra/Prasanna. And they have played in an era where most of the pitches have roads. Ain't they got a case?

It's hard to argue that Bedi-Chandra-Prasanna didn't have more to offer than Kumble-Harbhajan Singh. I've always understood that Kumble and Chandra were fairly similar bowlers, though Chandra had overseas success all career that Kumble could only dream of for most of it. And I doubt anyone would tell you that Prasanna was not superior to Harbhajan Singh - both bowled the Doosra, both were skilled flight bowlers, and both spun the stock Off-Break delivery as much as a fingerspinner can.

Add in a left-armer who also extracted plenty of spin by a fingerspinner's standards, plus being possibly the best flight bowler in history, and I don't see that Kumble-Harbhajan Singh really comes close to Bedi-Chandra-Prasanna. It's not like there was a huge abundance of bunsens in the 1970s either.

I think that just shows my feelings that, since wickets became covered all over the planet, fingerspin has not been an option that can have widespread success; and that wristspin is an art that is exceptionally difficult to master and that there've been precious few successful practitioners down the years. In essence, I feel that seam >>>>> spin, in the modern (1970-and-onwards) era. Whereas previously you could argue that they were on an even footing or even that spin led the way.

I don't think I suggested anywhere in that thread that there were other spinners who could do what Bedi, Chandra and Prasanna could not, did I? I've held them in huge regard - amongst spinners - for as long as I can remember.

It's hard to argue that Bedi-Chandra-Prasanna didn't have more to offer than Kumble-Harbhajan Singh. I've always understood that Kumble and Chandra were fairly similar bowlers, though Chandra had overseas success all career that Kumble could only dream of for most of it. And I doubt anyone would tell you that Prasanna was not superior to Harbhajan Singh - both bowled the Doosra, both were skilled flight bowlers, and both spun the stock Off-Break delivery as much as a fingerspinner can.

Add in a left-armer who also extracted plenty of spin by a fingerspinner's standards, plus being possibly the best flight bowler in history, and I don't see that Kumble-Harbhajan Singh really comes close to Bedi-Chandra-Prasanna. It's not like there was a huge abundance of bunsens in the 1970s either.

I'm so glad I put my last post up before you posted this - the two posts read so beautifully together....